This efficient rundown of the Thai/Cambodian conflict over the Preah Jihar temple reminds us that it was the only outbreak of state to state violence ever caused by the decision of a conservation body. So far!
Myself, I look forward to the Leicestershire pork pie wars.
I think we've already seen that the National Trust has the potential to launch a secession movement. They've got the followers, they've got the coastline. I reckon its 50-50 whether the National Trust is independant before Scotland.
Posted by: Cian | January 27, 2012 at 12:38 AM
>Myself, I look forward to the Leicestershire pork pie wars.
Its when they get mixed up with the under-the-hedge non-pasteurized Stilton fourth generational stuff that things will get really interesting.
Posted by: johnf | January 27, 2012 at 07:33 AM
Fourth generational Stilton sounds like the sort of cheese John Robb would eat. Decentralised across many small, self-supporting biscuits.
Posted by: ajay | January 27, 2012 at 09:23 AM
B&T Leicestershire correspondent writes:
Pork pie conflict has been defused. It's the Stilton Wars you need to watch out for - some chancer in Stilton (which is perhaps paradoxically outside the Stilton Area) has decided to go into the cheese business, and Melton "Capital of Food" Mowbray is not happy. Stratfor and International Crisis Group will doubtless be updating on this.
If the National Trust does secede, the UK capital will naturally devolve to Leicester, since the NT shuns the East Midlands, and only owns about two things in a 40 mile radius.
Posted by: Chris Williams | January 27, 2012 at 10:21 AM
You're missing the big picture here.
What happens when the Plum Jerkum jihadis pour over the border from Warwickshire. And they will. Blowing up an American aircraft carrier in the Straits of Hormuz won't have nothing on that.
Posted by: johnf | January 27, 2012 at 11:47 AM
Actually, it is entirely conceivable that the populist hordes of the National Trust (a mass membership charity that is really a thinly disguised form of outdoor relief for the decaying landed classes) might use the rhetorical cover of being 'the Big Society' to stage a takeover bid for the assets of English Heritage, a quango. Just think how much money could be made out of tea towels with Stonehedge on them....
Posted by: CMcM | January 27, 2012 at 01:08 PM
English Heritage has all the castles. The National Trust only has a bunch of crappy "stately homes". Once they get boiling oil poured over their heads they'll be thinking again soon enough.
Posted by: des von bladet | January 27, 2012 at 02:16 PM
Just think how much money could be made out of tea towels with Stonehedge on them
How is this already not a thing?
Posted by: Barry Freed | January 27, 2012 at 02:37 PM
It's that dead hand of the state yet again Barry. According to the EH website, they're frittering away their energies on Stonehedge glitter snowballs when the tea towel market is just crying out to be addressed.
Posted by: CMcM | January 27, 2012 at 03:04 PM
some chancer in Stilton (which is perhaps paradoxically outside the Stilton Area)
Really? That might explain why it was so hard to find decent Stilton when we stopped in Stilton when I was last in the UK.
Posted by: ejh | January 27, 2012 at 07:58 PM